No Strings Attached
by Lu78
Summary: Sept's Fanfic Challenge for OCOH. AU Post ep for a carby scene.


September's Fan Fiction Challenge for One Can Only Hope.

Title:- No Strings Attached

Author:- Lu

Rating:- T

Summary:- AU post episode for No Strings Attached, in which Carter reveals a secret/wish.

Carter walked in the door to her apartment and called out her name. He received no response. As he walked past the kitchen he saw the half empty bottle of Jose Cuerva, he couldn't blame her really. Her brother was missing, possibly dead.

Hearing the incessant beep from her alarm clock he headed into the bedroom. He whispered her name as he toed his shoes off. Climbing into bed, he reached across and switched the alarm off. She looked so lost under the blanket, a muss of blonde hair stuck out from the top, partially covering her face. He gently moved the strands so he could see her face. Dried in tear stains ran down her cheeks. Snuggling down beside her, he left his hand on her arm before falling into a light sleep.

Half an hour later Abby began to come too, with the feeling of someone in bed beside her. The events of the last day began to dawn on her and the tears started again. How could her brother be gone? Her only ally in the whole world and he was lost forever. Eric and she had gone through so much when they were younger, she thought she had managed to get him through it all but no, he had to be cursed with the same disease that had robbed her, them of a childhood.

Not really caring about her tears she began sobbing again. She thought she had cried enough last night over her bottle of tequila, obviously it wasn't enough. Only when she heard the soft tones of her boyfriend did the tears come faster.

"It's all right, I'm here now." John said. In all the time he had known her he had never seen her cry. Through everything that she had been through, never once had he seen a tear caress the soft skin of her face. He drew he body further into his own and wrapped his arms protectively around her. She turned in his embrace and snuggled further into him, placing her face in the crook of his neck. He didn't care that the shirt he wore was getting damp. All he cared about was that she felt safe and loved.

They lay in one another's arms for an hour before Abby had to get up. "I have a shift." She announced.

"You don't have to." John told her. But she shook her head and walked into the bathroom. "Abby, maybe it would be best of you stayed home today."

"I need to keep busy. Keep my mind off him." She spoke through the closed door. Even through that john could tell she was trying to keep the tears at bay. "Please try and understand John."

"I'm trying baby I really am, but I think you should be here." He said leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom.

"I'll only work a half shift, okay." She said defiantly.

John knew not to argue with her when she was in this kind of mood. Nothing would make her change her mind. "Okay, but I'm coming with you." He knew she would be rolling her eyes at him at this precise moment in time, but her didn't care.

He made coffee and made her eat a slice of toast before they collected their jackets to leave. The phone startled them just as they were about to leave. Abby could only stare at it. John lifted the receiver. "Hello." He went silent listening to what was being said on the other side of the phone. He looked to Abby, who had her head down, gnawing on her gloved finger. "Okay, I'll pass on the message and call you back."

Abby knew by the sound of his voice that the news was bad. His voice had hitched when he ended the conversation. She couldn't look up into his eyes, for she knew they would be filled with tears. She unwound the scarf from her neck and peeled the jacket from her body. She knew she wasn't going anywhere.

John watched as she sat herself down on the sofa. He knew that she knew what he was going to tell her. "Abby I am so sorry." He started off by saying. She held up her hand to stop him from going any further. Rounding the sofa he could see the tears coursing down her cheeks again. Taking the seat beside her, he pulled her into his arms and vowed to never let her go.

Ten minutes later she composed herself long enough to ask, "What exactly happened?"

"They found his plane in a field outside Carmel, Indiana. They are still to determine what exactly caused the crash. But Eric was on board and died instantly, they think. They have his body and will release it to you whenever you are ready." This only caused more tears from Abby. For someone who didn't like to show emotion, she certainly wasn't holding anything back now.

"Have they contacted Maggie?" She whispered, praying that they had. How could she be expected to handle that phone call?

"You were written as his next of kin, so you were their first phone call. If you'd like, I'll call her for you?" John suggested, rubbing small circles into her back in an attempt to soothe her. She could only nod, thankful that he was there, thankful he came home from his vacation to be with her.

An hour later and Abby was asleep on the sofa after crying herself to sleep. John had called Maggie to inform her of her sons death which had not been greeted well. Abby had heard her mother's screams from through the phone lines, which had only made things worse for Abby. Why did things like this happen to their family?

John watched her as she slept, wishing he could take her pain away. He knew what it was like to loose a brother. Okay they weren't in the same circumstances, but still loosing a sibling anyway was tough. He hoped and prayed that Abby wouldn't retreat into herself and turn back to alcohol.

Susan had called, telling them to take as much time as was needed. John was still on vacation for a week anyway, so that didn't matter. Susan also told him that if he or Abby needed anything just to call.

"John." Abby's voice brought him from the daydream he was in. He walked through to the living room and sat on the edge of the sofa. "I want to go and bring him home." She stated plainly.

"Then that is what we will do." John told her. He pulled her into his arms again and rocked her. "Abby I know that this is going to be the wrong time to say anything but if I don't do it now I don't think I will do it again. I wish I could take your pain away. I wish that you had grown up in a normal home and had the life you deserved. I know that it didn't happen that way and now you are paying a really tough price. But I want to change that."

"John what are you saying?" Abby asked him. She had an inkling of what he was edging at and she couldn't wait to hear him utter the words she longed to hear from his mouth.

"Abby, I love you more than life itself and I realise that it is completely the wrong time to ask. You are in a nightmare situation but I want to try and make your dreams come true. Abby will you marry me?" John said quickly.

She smiled, the first time he had seen her smiled since the afternoon before, while in bed before he left. "You really mean it don't you?" She asked as he nodded. "John as you said yourself, I am not in the right frame of mind at the moment and can't possibly give you an answer. Just know that I love you too with all my heart and have longed to hear those words from you. Please can you give me time?"

"All the time you need." He answered. She snuggled further into his embrace knowing it was where she wanted to be for the rest of her life. She just had to get over the huge hurdle that was in front of her at the moment before she could even think of the rest of her life.

The end.


End file.
